John h



KModel.)

L H. NOLAN.

TIRE PROOF MATERIAL FOR SAPES; No. 268,82'0.- Patented DecQIZ, 1882.

WITNE :5 -|N\/ENTEIR N, PETERS. mwuma n lm, Washington. a c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. NOLAN, OF BOSTON, MASS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE MAGNESO OALOITE FIRE-PROOF COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FIRE-PROOF MATERIAL FOR SAFES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,820, dated December 12, 18822,

Application filed February 23, 1882. Model.

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I,JOHN H.NoLA'N,of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and Stateof Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States,have

invented a new anduseful Improvement in Fire-Proof Material, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had-the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in explaining its nature, in whichtion of fire the material which it covers. The

inner body of material I prefer to make of a compound of vegetable or mineral fiber, or both, and clay and magnesia, or lime, or talc,

. or any refractory matter of a similar nature, a or of a mixture of two or more of them in any suitable proportion, according as desired, the

0 proportion which I prefer to use being about sixty per cent. of fiber to forty per cent. of refractory filling. The fiber and filling are Well mixed together by the aid of water, and the compound thus formed is made into layers or I 3 5 sheets, or into such form as may be desired,

and is preferably then saturated with a solution of a salt of lime, or alum, or borax, or silicate of soda or tungstate of soda, or any other solution of a kindred nature, but although 0 I prefer to thus saturate the material it is not necessary so to do. Having prepared the inner body in substantially the manner indicated, I then cover it upon one or more sides with a layer of material such as is hereinafter de- 5 scribed, and which, while not absolutely noncombustible in its original shape, acts, after it has been reduced to carbon, as a substantially non-combustible body, incapable of conducting or transmitting high heat to the material which it protects. This lining is made preferably of vegetable or mineral fiber, or both, saturated with a solution of a salt of lime, or alum, or borax, or silicate of soda or tungstate of soda,

or a mixture of two or more of them, or a material of a like nature. The fiber is worked 5 5 into any desirable shape to receive the solution, and it may be of a woven cloth or in the form of paper.

In the drawings, A represents the body or layer, and B the lining. The body or layer, instead of being in one mass, may be made of several thicknesses and thecarbonizable lining interposed, and it or they may be covered with carbonizable lining on all sides, if desired.

In use the fire proof material is secured in place, with one or more layers of the carbonizable material upon the side which may be exposed to the action of the fire, and alternate layers of the body material, as I term it, and carboniaable sheets may be used additionally. The action of the fire uponthe outer lining reduces it to a layer of carbon, which acts to resist the transmission of heat to the material beyond. If, however, the heat should be so intense as to absolutely destroy the outer carbon lining, the body material then slowly carbonizes, and as the fiber therein consumes or is partially consumed the refractory filling expands to some extent to take its place, and the action of the fire thereon is very slow, and the passage of heat therethrough is so retarded that the second layer of the carbonizable lining material is protected from the direct action of the flames for a long period of time, and then slowly carbonizes, and, withthe assistance of the outer material used, further re tards the action of the fire and the passage of heat to the inner layers. Of course it is desirable that thelayer, body, or mass thatis covered should have as high heat-resisting qualities as possible, yet it is not essential that this be the case, as the outer lining ofiers such a resistance to the passage of heat that a material which is not of substantially a great heat-resisting nature can be employed. 5

It will be noticed that the use of the fiber in the outer material or lining will act to hold it in shape with some cohesion after it has one full thickness of the fire-proof material for practical use. Of course where great heat-resisting power is desired I use several layers of the combined sheets,having always, however, the carbonizable sheet (provided the said material is formed from sheets) outside the noncarbonizable. I prefer to make the material of each of the kinds named, of which the two parts of the fire-proof substance are composed, into the form of sheets orlayers, as this is a very convenient form for use. It will thus be seen that in use the outside covering or carbonizable fibrous material or preparation, when exposed to intense heat, will be carbonized, and while in that condition it will preserve the same form as when originally prepared in the sheets, and the outside covering, when carbonized by heat, will effectually serve as a nonconducting material in further protecting the inner or second sheet, which I have denominated the non-carbonizable or fire-proof material. The two layers or sheets which form the basis oftbe united fire-proof non-heat-conducting material are not composed of the same substances as I have already described. This fire-proof material thus formed is particularly. applicable to lining the inner'walls of fireproof safes, boxes, 850. I

It will thus be seen that my present invention relates more especially to the arrangement and combination of the composition or materials in layers or sheets, and its relation and adaptation as a fire-resisting material.

In lieu of the body material A described, I may use any other material made substantially incombustible, and I mention wood or any other suitable substance saturated with a so lution of lime, or alum, or borax, or silicate of soda or tungstate of soda, or any other solution of a kindred nature.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. A. fire-proof material composed of the fire-proof layer or sheet A, covered wholly or in part by the carboniza-ble layer or sheet B, prepared, arranged, adapted, and combined substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a fire-proof" material, a fibrous substance filled with clay and magnesia or other refractory matter, and saturated with any fireproof solution, combined with and enveloped by a fibrous material prepared as described,

and adapted to be carbonized at ahigh temperature without losing its cohesiveness, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JOHN H. NOLAN.

Witnesses F. F. RAYMOND, 2d, W. C. FOG'G. 

